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In many states, the tight presidential race isn't the only thing on people's minds: Ballot measures are putting some controversial social and political issues up for popular vote. Same-sex marriage and the death penalty are just two of the measures voters will weigh in on come election day.

Long lines snaked around New York City Tuesday as J.K. Rowling made her only U.S. appearance promoting her new book for adults, The Casual Vacancy. NPR's Margot Adler reports that while the crowds were large, they were overjoyed to meet the woman who created Harry Potter.

An Israeli government report shows that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top politicians in Israel raise a large percentage of their campaign money in the United States. Some Israelis say they are bothered, but many say they have come to expect it.

New research suggests that by the time an Alzheimer's patient is diagnosed, many key neurons are already dead. Neuroscientists say it's possible that several recent trials of drugs for Alzheimer's have failed because the drugs were given after symptoms had already started to appear.

The race for the state's open U.S. Senate seat has been dominated by three things: an independent former governor, third-party spending and a barrage of negative television ads. Among the casualties of the campaign have been the candidates' positions on the issues.

Earlier this week, a Japanese company announced a $20 billion bid for a majority stake in Sprint Nextel, America's third-largest mobile carrier. The deal was launched by the CEO of Softbank — an executive who says he has a "300-year business plan," and who is fond of making investments his peers call "crazy."

Federal authorities charged a 21-year-old Bangladeshi man with conspiring to blow up the Federal Reserve Bank in Lower Manhattan Wednesday. But authorities say no one was in any danger because the young man was using dummy explosives provided by the FBI.

Back in the 1700s, the resentful subjects of France's Marie Antoinette gave her the nickname: "Madame Deficit." The Queen's extravagant lifestyle ended at the guillotine. But she left behind some treasures — including a delicate pair of green and pink silk striped slippers. On the anniversary of her execution this week, they were sold by a Parisian auction house for more than $65,000.

Argo tells the story of the six American diplomats who narrowly escaped the U.S. embassy in Tehran as the Iran hostage crisis erupted in late 1979. Gary Sick, who served as the principal White House aide for Iran during the Iranian Revolution and the hostage crisis, reviews the film.

Thursday in Toronto, the National Hockey League owners and the players union are meeting to try and get the season back on track. The first two weeks of the season were cancelled after the owners locked out the players over labor disputes. Melissa Block checks in with Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo Sports' Puck Daddy blog about the current status of the negotiations and the chances of having a full season.